Chapter Name:Purchase of the Course

A special meeting of the Club was held in the Clubhouse on 24th September, 1932, to discuss the proposed purchase of the Golf Course -at the time referred to as the Golf Links.
The following members were present:- President, R. G. H. Russell; Vice-President, Mrs. Margaret Farrell; J. F. Heaphy; M. J. Cahill; T. P.Reynolds; T. Tyner and Club Solicitor, T. N. Wardrop.
The outcome of this meeting was that the Trustees were given permission to spend a limit of £450 to purchase the "Club lands". A follow-up meeting called by T. N. Wardrop, was held in the Clubhouse
on 3rd November, 1932.
Members present included:- Mrs. Farrell, W. H. M. Cobbe, M. J. Cahill,
T. Tyner, J. F. Heaphy, D. J. Sammon,T. P. Reynolds,J. Keane,J. Scally.
T. N. Wardrop read correspondence which he had received from Messrs. McAinsh & Co. Ltd., to the effect that the price fixed for the Links and Clubhouse was £650. This price was unacceptable to the Club. Instead, it offered to take a lease of the Course for twenty-one years at £35.00 per
annum; alternatively, it offered £500.00 to buy it out.
In the meantime, the Land Commission contacted T. N. Wardrop who wrote the president of the Club:
R. H. G. Russell
14th December, 1932.
"...Mr. Gould of the Irish Land Commission called here some days ago and stated that if we did not proceed with the purchase of the Golf Links and give a satisfactory price for same the Land Commission would take over and there would be little chance of our becoming the owners and, for that matter, the land would be divided up and we would lose the Links for all time. I think it right that I should inform you of this and I am writing a similar letter to your Co-Trustee in the matter..."
On 24th May, 1933, T. N. Wardrop was directed to write as follows to McAinsh & Co. Ltd.: "As the purchasing of the Links at the price asked is out of the question, would he be prepared to give a long lease to the Club and in the event of his being prepared to grant the lease, would he meet a deputation to discuss terms. In that event, the following would form the deputation: W. H. Cobbe,J. F. Heaphy, T. Tyner, D. F. Sammon and T. N.Wardrop, Solicitor"
Messrs. McAinsh & Co. Ltd., in their reply of 13th October, 1933, statedthat he would communicate further with T. N. Wardrop in the course of the next few days with reference to the proposed interview regarding the matter.
The Committee nominated W. H. Cobbe, T. Tyner and D.F. Sammon to meet him on the date he should fix but no progress emerged from this meeting.
A further deputation was sent to Messrs McAinsh on 1st February,1934. This time the members were T. Tyner, R. Croker and E. T. McCabe.The deputation reported back to the Committee on 14th February, 1934.The Hon. Secretary said that Messrs. McAinsh refused to consider under any circumstances the question of a lease. He was prepared to exclude Lawrence's field, if desired, as part of the Links. His price, accordingly,would be £500.00, alternatively, with the field, £575.00.
Following this, H. Hainsworth and Tom Tyner were commissioned to find out how much money would be subscribed in the form of debentures of £1.00 denomination and at what rate of interest. Messrs.l\'IcAinsh was informed that the Committee had come to no decision but would make him an offer within one month.
The commission reported back on 26th February, 1934, and informed the Committee that they had got promises of subscriptions amounting to £210.00, including a gift of £5.00 from a member, and as they had not consulted all members there was a probability of getting a further £50.00.This was considered very satisfactory.
Armed with this information the Committee agreed to offer £500 for the Links, i.e. £300.00 in cash and the balance £200.00 in five annual instalments: this balance to be secured by a mortgage, ifnecessary, on the House and Links until paid off.It was decided to write Messrs McAinsh & Co. Ltd., regarding
preference for a deputation to meet him.
On 6th March, 1934, Messrs McAinsh wrote to the Club stating that the offer made was not acceptable, but the Firm was prepared to accept £450.00 including Lawrence's field and reserve the right to fell certain trees. The Committee agreed that a sum of £450.00 be offered to Messrs.McAinsh for the Golf Links, including the strip of land in Lawrence's field known as the "Green Drive", subject to the points under discussion being satisfactorily agreed upon between the deputation appointed and the representatives of McAinsh Ltd., and subject also to ratification by the Golf Club Committee at a meeting to be held immediately. The following deputation was appointed:- R. Croker, T. Tyner, T. N.
Wardrop, Solicitor, and the Hon Secretary.
The deputation was instructed to arrange with Messrs. McAinsh & Co.Ltd., to leave, if possible, all trees standing on the Course, but were empowered to give way on this point to a reasonable extent: their brief
being:
To arrange the boundary enclosing the strip known as the "GreenDrive".
To define the boundary of the paddock to the rear of the Clubhouse.
To fix a time limit within which all trees that may be marked, ought to be removed.
To arrange the sum to be left out on mortgage and the terms of same.
To discuss fully the details of the agreement to be drawn up by the Vendor's Solicitors.
To call a committee meeting as soon as possible for the ratification of the terms agreed upon.
A further meeting on the matter was held in the Clubhouse, on 20th March, 1934, at which it was proposed by the President of the Club, R. G.H. Russell "that the letter drafted and passed at the 6th March, 1934 meeting, to be addressed to Messrs. McAinsh & Co. Ltd., be not sent in view of the discussion which took place at this meeting; the whole matter of the purchase of the Golf Links to be postponed for one month, or un til a further communication be received from the owners or further necessary discussion should arise, whichever shall first occur".
The question of the status of the Club was also to be ascertained.
In the meantime, at a meeting held on 11th January, 1935, the Hon. Secretary read a letter from Messrs. Franks & Carter, Solicitors, informing the Committee that the Land Commission had taken over the field known to the Club as Lawrence's field, and he was instructed to reply:- "that as these fields brought in a sum of £10.00 annually their rent of £35.00 should be reduced to £25.00, but that the club was desirous of obtaining a lease".
The Hon. Secretary informed the Committee that he had written to Irish Land Commission relative to the purchase of the Club lands, and he was informed by the Commission that they had purchased the estate but did not acquire the Club Course.
At a meeting held on 20th February, 1935, the question of rent and purchase was again considered and the Hon. Secretary was instructed to write Messrs. Franks & Carter and point out to them that £25.00 per annum was a fair rent in view of the loss of to them of Lawrence's field and the fact that the land of Garryhinch was sold to the tenants at from 5/- to 7/- per acre. Also, that in view of the probability of purchasing the Course from the Landlords, the poor law valuation of the land and house was to be ascertained so that the Committee might be guided in their estimation of the purchase price.
In anticipation of negotiations being opened up in the future towards that end, the Committee selected a deputation of T. Tyner, R. Croker and E. T. McCabe to meet McAinsh & Co. Ltd., and an independent arbitrator -who had interested himself in the matter -with a view to a settlement.
It was agreed that the price to be offered for the Links should not exceed £400.00 and the deputation was urged to press for a lesser figure if possible. A further meeting was held on 30th May, 1935, at which the President, R. G. H. Russell, suggested that the meeting should adjourn until T. N. Wardrop, Solicitor, could attend and that a deputation again interview the agent for McAinsh & Co. Ltd., so as to have one or two adjustments made in their letter regarding the sale. The Committee agreed on the purchase price of the lands and the terms of payment as mentioned in the agent's letter, provided such adjustments mentioned were made.
The Treasurer was then instructed to make enquiries from the Club's Banker regarding an overdraft of up to £100.00 on the Club's asset in case such sum was required to complete the purchase of the lands.
In a report to the Committee by T. Tyner on 25th June, 1935, it was stated that he (Tyner) had had a further interview with the agents and that no concessions were forthcoming, except that any rent due to date of closing would be left over for adjustment on the same conditions and terms as the balance of the purchase price i.e. 10 yearly instalments.
It was also pointed out that the Paddock at the back of the Clubhouse was held by the Forestry Department.
It was proposed by T. Tyner, and seconded by M. H. Gill, that the Committee accept the terms for the purchase of the Golf Links, via, £460.00 plus 20 marked trees: £210.00 to be paid down on the date of completion of purchase and the balance of £250.00 to be paid in ten yearly instalments plus five per cent interest. The rent due to date of closing to be paid on the same terms as the balance of the purchase price.
W. H. Cobbe proposed an amendment -"that the matter of purchase be left over until such time as the owner was written to asking for a reduction in the price of the land in view of the fact that the paddock was not included." T. N. Wardrop promised to write to the agents without delay.However, W. H. Cobbe later withdrew his amendment and T. Tyner's resolution was then put to the meeting and was carried.
The matter was put to a special general meeting held in the Clubhouseon Saturday, 21st June, 1935.
The following members were present:- W. H. M Cobbe, Chairman;
Rev. T. Gahan, C.C., Captain; M. J. Cahill, Vice-Captain; T. N. Wardrop, Club Solicitor; T. Tyner, Dr. W. J. Hogan, P. C. Vereker, J. Kenny, J. K.O'Riordan, J. Fitzgerald, J. O'Regan, J. Hope, J. Scally, M. Gill, D. F. Sammon, H. Hainsworth, A. Farrell, M. Glynn, T. M. Fletcher, Mrs.,Cobbe, Mrs. Hogan, Mrs. Gill, Mrs. O'Sullivan, Miss E. O'Donnell, Miss Ryan, Mrs. Fitzgerald.
The agenda for the meeting was:
(1) To ratify the decision of the Committee to purchase the Course.
(2) Elect temporary hon. secretary.
(3) Any other business.
The following resolution was proposed by J. Hope, seconded by T.Tyner... "That the offer of Messrs. McAinsh & Co. Ltd., regarding thepurchase of the Golf Course and lands at the price of £460.00 (Four
hundred and sixty pounds) be accepted, and if the Paddock is not included in the sale to the Forestry Department or Land Commission, the same Paddock to become the property of the Club and be part of the purchase. A sum of £210.00 (Two hundred and ten pounds) to be paid in cash, and the
balance of £250.00 (Two hundred and fifty pounds) to be paid by annual
instalments with interest thereon at five per cent, to be spread over a period of 10 years.
First instalment to be paid 12 months after the date of closing.The rent already due to be apportioned to the date of closing and the payment of this to be spread over a period often years plus five per cent
interest.Messrs. McAinsh & Co. Ltd., to clear all rates and taxes up to 31st
March, 1935.
Twenty trees, as already marked, to be the property of Messrs McAinsh & Co. Ltd., and the Committee to be empowered to purchase".
The resolution was passed unanimously.